Hashimotos' thyroiditis: Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinic and therapy. Issue 6 (December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ragusa, Francesca; Fallahi, Poupak; Elia, Giusy; Gonnella, Debora; Paparo, Sabrina Rosaria; Giusti, Claudia; Churilov, Leonid P.; Ferrari, Silvia Martina; Antonelli, Alessandro
• Is Part Of: Best practice & research. Volume 33:Issue 6(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-12
• Subjects: autoimmune diseases -- autoimmune thyroid disorders -- autoimmune thyroiditis -- Hashimoto's thyroiditis -- hypothyroidism -- levothyroxine; Endocrine glands -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Metabolism -- Disorders -- Periodicals; Endocrinology -- Periodicals; Metabolism -- Periodicals; 616.4
• DOI: 10.1016/j.beem.2019.101367
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1521-690X

Abstract

Abstract : Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), the most frequent autoimmune thyroid disorders (AITDs), is the leading cause of hypothyroidism in the iodine-sufficient areas of the world. About 20–30% of patients suffers from HT, whose cause is thought to be a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors that causes the loss of immunological tolerance, with a consequent autoimmune attack to the thyroid tissue and appearance of the disease. The pathologic features of lymphocytic infiltration, especially of T cells, and follicular destruction are the histological hallmark of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), that lead to gradual atrophy and fibrosis. An important role in the immune-pathogenesis of AITDs is due to chemokines and cytokines. In about 20% of patients, AITDs are associated with other organ specific/systemic autoimmune disorders. Many studies have demonstrated the relationship between papillary thyroid cancer and AITD. The treatment of hypothyroidism, as result of AIT, consists in daily assumption of synthetic levothyroxine.